leaning pine

[Dixie1]

yes, it is D virginiana. They are quite prolific in our area. I'm not too big on the fruit flavor, yuck. What is the old tale, when you split a persimmon seed if it looks like a fork we will have a snowy winter, if it is a knife it will be icy, and if a spoon, warm? something like that. i have never looked. I like the blocky bark.

 

[nytreeman]

don't wait

Heres a good reason not to wait to remove a hazardous leaning tree.I had worked for this customer for many yrs.Taken several other very LARGE trees that she feared because they were over the house.But this tree was farther away,but had a severe lean toward the house,long healed vertical crack,and it was obvious that the interior was rotting/hollow water actually leaking from the trunk and carpenter ants all over it.I had suggested well actually insisted on removal on this 90 ft Norway Spruce for 2 yrs but the homeowner said she didnt want to take it.......well a good south wind did the rest.Good thing she had insurance.

 

[nytreeman]

Lucky the house was a hewn beamed,almost 200 yr old house a new stick house would have been cut in half even then broke the ridge and several limbs went right through into an upstairs bedroom.Heres the roof

 

[treeseer]

Thanks ny, good pix and a useful tale. When stem rot is so obviously severe, using a drill with an 1/8" bit can inform the owner about how thick the holding wood is, and prompt responsible action.

Glad no one got hurt, except the policyholders whose rates went up.

o and thnks 2u2 rb, it's all good.

 

[Ed Roland]

I'm not going to get into an argument about whether the tree should stay or go, I just thought this and some of your other comments toward treeseer were comical. He has been a member here for a very long time, and his opinion is well respected. Woodweasel, how many years experience do you have?

Well, i had no idea he has been a member for a very long time. That changes everything. Since that is the case, lets back him with his radical suggestion of pruning this hazard tree 20-30% and go ahead and let the kids play under it.

Im a preservationist but not, the apparent, tree huggers you fellas are.

it is irresponsible to suggest to the homeowner this leaner toward the house should be pruned and left. Its ok to remove trees that could harm your family/property. Im starting to worry about you two and your clients.

:chainsawguy:

 

[BayouTree]

Nice post Nytree. Did you have the client sign off on something saying they refused the removal of that tree and its condition?

 

[rb_in_va]

Well, i had no idea he has been a member for a very long time. That changes everything. Since that is the case, lets back him with his radical suggestion of pruning this hazard tree 20-30% and go ahead and let the kids play under it.

Im a preservationist but not, the apparent, tree huggers you fellas are.

it is irresponsible to suggest to the homeowner this leaner toward the house should be pruned and left. Its ok to remove trees that could harm your family/property. Im starting to worry about you two and your clients.

:chainsawguy:

It's really hard for anyone to advise a course of action on this tree unless they have been to the site and looked at it in person. You saying it should be removed is no more right or wrong than treeseer's suggestion.

Personally I'd take down the tree and the shed. Then I'd plant an oak or a maple and build a new saltbox shed.

Have a great weekend!

 

[treeseer]

it is irresponsible to suggest to the homeowner this leaner toward the house should be pruned and left.

I agree. Suggesting conservation of a high risk tree to a client would be dumb. What I said was "If it were mine I would look to remove 20-30% of the branches, the ones that sprawl the worst."

see the difference? I'm just glad that tree is not mine.

That spruce must have been heavy. Wonder if it was driveway construction or other abuse that started the rot?

 

[Dixie1]

you have to take each "leaner" on a case by case basis. Just because it leans, doesn't mean it is a candidate for removal. you have to see in person before deciding. I would personally want all of my options presented to me if it were my tree with the pros and cons of both solutions. there is nothing wrong with thinking it through before deciding what to do about it. no one, no matter how good you are can exactly determine whether or not a tree is going to fail or when. it could out last us all. you never know. all you have is the info at hand and make a decision based on that information. if it keeps the homeowner up at night or makes them afraid to be in a certain room, then yes it needs to come down. if it wouldn't fall on the house or play area, i would personally opt for the pruning before removal. i would rather have the tree than worrying about my shed getting squashed. you can move the shed, but not the tree. yes, treeseer is VERY knowledgeable and i do respect his opion.

 

[nytreeman]

Nice post Nytree. Did you have the client sign off on something saying they refused the removal of that tree and its condition?

No because late in the summer I had done some trimming for her and she said well lets try to get that tree down this fall,no call until November 6 and storm from the south east to the backside of the lean brought it down,amazing that the tree could stand at all wide buttress about 4 1/2 ft through at the base but not much more than the bark and the cambium layer holding it up.

 

[nytreeman]

That spruce must have been heavy. Wonder if it was driveway construction or other abuse that started the rot?

I'm sure it did add to it,it was 4 ft from the drive which had been dugout and repaved a few yrs back also right next to the sidewalk and they both get plowed .But it looked as though it had started as a long crack in the stem letting water in.It was filled with thousands of carpenter ants and they had totally chewed the insides to dust.

 

[treeseer]

It was filled with thousands of carpenter ants and they had totally chewed the insides to dust.

Many threads here on these ants; they seldom bother undecayed wood so it's the fungus, introduced by wounding, that is the true culprit.

As for waiting for the client to remember to call, that's a big problem for me too. I try to stay caught up enough to be calling them about scheduling work, but it seldom happens.:help:

 

[Pilsnaman]

My advise is to get a certified ISA arborist from a reputable company out there. A lot of factors will go into determining if a tree should be removed, unless it is something clear like death or severe decay. My gut tells me you will be told to remove it because it is a spruce and the trunk isn't even trying to correct itself as it grows. Also, pruning will do very little in righting the tree, IMHO. That price seems very low for something that needs to be lowered in pieces so my first thought is no insurance (which is especially bad when the removal can result in wood through a building). Make sure to not only ask for the person's proof of insurance but call their company to make sure they are actually covered. It is not unheard of for people to say they are covered thinking no one will ever check.

 

[jackson5150]

Thanks guys. The tree is gone. I had it taken down today. Cost me $450 and the guys did a real nice job keeping the shed intact and cleaning up the lawn too. That shed is getting a facelift but I wanted to wait just in case. The fence too. All the other estimates were around $500 and they all recommended taking it down. The ground around the base was starting to heave so it was the right decision. I forgot to mention that the soil in my yard and behind it is very sandy, plus the water table is only a couple feet down. Maybe that could have made the situation even worse.